March 13, 1991|By Sandra Crockett | Sandra Crockett,Baltimore County Bureau of The Sun

Baltimore County will have to wait another year for the opening of its next new school, Seven Oaks Elementary, officials said yesterday.

Seven Oaks was scheduled to be ready for the 1991-1992 school year, but construction problems have delayed the opening until September 1992, said Keith Kelley, associate superintendent for physical facilities.

"The change . . . has been caused in large part by unanticipated soil conditions in the northwest portion of the building site," Mr. Kelley said. "It is vitally important that this condition be remedied to the satisfaction of our engineers to prevent future settling and damage to the building."

Seven Oaks will be located at Joppa Road and Seven Courts Road, and will have a 504-student capacity. It is intended to ease overcrowding at nearby Gunpowder and Carney elementary schools.

But the eventual opening of Seven Oaks will affect three area elementaries, said James Kraft, director of the school system planning department.

More than 250 students from Gunpowder Elementary School and 284 from Perry Hall Elementary School will attend Seven Oaks, while about 300 students from Carney Elementary will move to Perry Hall.

Gunpowder Elementary, built to hold 394 students, currently has 688 students and is using nine trailers for additional classrooms. Carney has a 526-student capacity, but an enrollment of 767. The school is using four trailers for class space.

"We are disappointed Seven Oaks will not open in 1991," Mr. Kraft said.